The present application relates to a light-emitting diode and a manufacturing method of the same, and particularly to a minute light-emitting diode.
In recent years, a minute light-emitting diode having a size of several tens μm is proposed (see, for example, International Publication No. Wo 02/07231 and JP-A-2005-150673 (patent documents 1 and 2)). FIG. 14 shows, as an example of such a light-emitting diode, an AlGaInP based light-emitting diode. As shown in FIG. 14, in order to manufacture the AlGaInP based light-emitting diode, an etching stop layer is grown on a not-shown n-type GaAs substrate, and an n-type AlInP clad layer 101, an active layer 102 and a p-type AlInP clad layer 103 are successively grown thereon. Next, the n-type AlInP clad layer 101, the active layer 102 and the p-type AlInP clad layer 103 are subjected to dry etching by using a mask having a specified plane shape and are patterned, and an end face 104 including an inclined surface inclined with respect to the surfaces of these layers is formed. Thereafter, although not shown, a p-side electrode is formed on the upper surface of the p-type AlInP clad layer 103, and an n-side electrode is formed on the lower surface of the n-type AlInP clad layer 101. In the AlGaInP based light-emitting diode, light generated in the active layer 102 is reflected by the end face 104, and is directed to the lower surface of the n-type AlInP clad layer 101, that is, the exit surface, so that light extraction efficiency is enhanced.
Incidentally, there is proposed a manufacturing method of a light-emitting diode in which in an end face emission type light-emitting diode including at least a light-emitting section of a double heterojunction structure in which upper and lower surfaces of an active layer are sandwiched between clad layers, and an electrode pair for injecting carriers into the light-emitting section, a light extraction surface of the light-emitting section is formed into a reverse mesa shape by wet etching (see, for example, JP-A-10-242507 (patent document 3)).